The Common Core: Educational Redeemer or Rainmaker? Link to Article
Author(s):Julie L. Pennington, Kathryn M. Obenchain, Aimee Papola & Leia KmittaPublished: October 12, 2012 Abstract
The Common Core State Standards are poised to guide U.S. educational practice and assessment for the coming years. This commentary examines the framing of the argument for the new standards by the constructors of the CCSS and how the alignment of resources during the implementation phase is tightly ensconced within the organizations who drafted the standards. Teachers College Record
Open Letter to the Member States of PARCC and SBAC
Author(s):CEP Published:May 3, 2011 On May 3, 2011, the Center on Education Policy issued an open letter to the member states of the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) and Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC), which are developing assessments aligned to the Common Core State Standards. The letter, which is based on CEP’s five-year extensive analysis of state testing results, raises some issues regarding the setting of the cut score for proficient performance and the reporting of results. The suggestions are offered in an effort to make the new assessment systems as useful as possible to policymakers, educators, researchers, parents, and the public. Also posted below is the response from SBAC. Download files: Open Letter (PDF format, 140 KB) SBAC Response (PDF format, 152 KB)
Year Two of Implementing the Common Core State Standards: States' Progress and Challenges View Report
Author(s):Nancy Kober and Diane Stark Rentner Published:January 25, 2012 This report, based on a fall 2011 survey of 35 Common Core State Standards-adopting states (including the District of Columbia), examines states’ progress in transitioning the new standards. The vast majority of the states in the survey believe that the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) are more rigorous than previous state academic standards in math and English language arts. The vast majority of survey states are taking steps to familiarize state and district officials with the new standards and to align curriculum and assessments. However, most of the states in the survey do not expect to fully implement the standards until 2014-15 or later. In addition, a majority of the responding states caution that having adequate resources is a major challenge to full implementation of the CCSS. The Center on Education Policy is a national, independent advocate for public education and for more effective public schools.
The Common Core State Standards: Implications for Higher Education in the West View Report
Prepared by: Carl Krueger and Demarée K. Michelau Published: June 6, 2011
The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) in English language arts and mathematics seek to better prepare students across the nation for college and careers, raising both expectations and achievement in every state that chooses to adopt them. Created through an initiative led by the National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers – with input from researchers, policymakers, teachers, and the general public – the CCSS align college and work expectations through rigorous content and the application of knowledge via the demonstration of higher order skills.
The Common Core: Educational Redeemer or Rainmaker? Link to Article
Author(s): Julie L. Pennington, Kathryn M. Obenchain, Aimee Papola & Leia Kmitta Published: October 12, 2012Abstract
The Common Core State Standards are poised to guide U.S. educational practice and assessment for the coming years. This commentary examines the framing of the argument for the new standards by the constructors of the CCSS and how the alignment of resources during the implementation phase is tightly ensconced within the organizations who drafted the standards.
Teachers College Record
Open Letter to the Member States of PARCC and SBAC
Author(s): CEP Published: May 3, 2011On May 3, 2011, the Center on Education Policy issued an open letter to the member states of the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) and Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC), which are developing assessments aligned to the Common Core State Standards. The letter, which is based on CEP’s five-year extensive analysis of state testing results, raises some issues regarding the setting of the cut score for proficient performance and the reporting of results. The suggestions are offered in an effort to make the new assessment systems as useful as possible to policymakers, educators, researchers, parents, and the public. Also posted below is the response from SBAC.
Download files: Open Letter (PDF format, 140 KB) SBAC Response (PDF format, 152 KB)
Year Two of Implementing the Common Core State Standards: States' Progress and Challenges View Report
Author(s): Nancy Kober and Diane Stark Rentner Published: January 25, 2012This report, based on a fall 2011 survey of 35 Common Core State Standards-adopting states (including the District of Columbia), examines states’ progress in transitioning the new standards. The vast majority of the states in the survey believe that the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) are more rigorous than previous state academic standards in math and English language arts. The vast majority of survey states are taking steps to familiarize state and district officials with the new standards and to align curriculum and assessments. However, most of the states in the survey do not expect to fully implement the standards until 2014-15 or later. In addition, a majority of the responding states caution that having adequate resources is a major challenge to full implementation of the CCSS.
The Center on Education Policy is a national, independent advocate for public education and for more effective public schools.
The Common Core State Standards: Implications for Higher Education in the West View Report
Prepared by: Carl Krueger and Demarée K. Michelau Published: June 6, 2011The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) in English language arts and mathematics seek to better prepare students across the nation for college and careers, raising both expectations and achievement in every state that chooses to adopt them. Created through an initiative led by the National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers – with input from researchers, policymakers, teachers, and the general public – the CCSS align college and work expectations through rigorous content and the application of knowledge via the demonstration of higher order skills.